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BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari
| Photo Credit: PTI
As developments in Bangladesh continue to dominate political discourse in West Bengal, about 50 Hindutva organisations, accompanied by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, held a gathering at Esplanade on Thursday and called for “Hindu unity” in the State. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that unlike other states, Hindus are not united in West Bengal. “In Uttar Pradesh Hindus have united under Yogi Adityanath ji, in Haryana Hindus have united, and now in Maharashtra, the land of Chatrapati Shivaji, Hindus have united,” Mr. Adhikari said, addressing a rally at Kolkata’s Rani Rashmoni Road.
Since the arrest of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh on November 25, the West Bengal BJP leadership has been organising protests across the State. Observers feel the BJP sees an opportunity in the unrest across the border after its dismal performance in West Bengal in the Lok Sabha polls. The party’s seats dropped from 18 to 12, and additionally it received a drubbing in the bypolls across 10 Assembly seats.
Raising the issue of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, Mr. Adhikari stressed that the Hindus of West Bengal should learn from atrocities in the neighbouring country. He spoke about unrest in parts of West Bengal during the recently concluded festival season and said that like the Waqf Board looks after the interests of Muslims in India, the country needs a dedicated “Sanatan Board” to safeguard the rights and interests of Hindus.
‘United Hindus in 2021’
The BJP MLA from Nandigram said that he had successfully “united Hindus” in his constituency in 2021 and defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Later in 2024 he aided in the victory of Abhijit Gangopadhyay in Lok Sabha.
At the gathering, Mr. Adhikari bowed to Sayan Ghosh, the youth who claimed that he was attacked in Bangladesh because of his nationality and religion.
The gathering was joined by Kartik Maharaj, a monk from the Bharat Seveashram Sangh who has been actively raising the issue of the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. The monk called on representatives of all political parties, BJP, Trinamool Congress, and CPI(M) to unite and protect Hindus.
Lauding developments in Tripura where Bangladeshis are facing restrictions, as also goods coming through the border from Bangladesh, Kartik Maharaj said that if trade continues along the West Bengal-Bangladesh border, people will camp at the border and stop the passage of goods.
The Leader of the Opposition said that the Indian economy is not dependent on Bangladesh, but the neighbouring nation was heavily dependent on India. Mr. Adhikari, who led protests at Petrapole on December 2, said he will organise similar protests at Ghojadanga border post on December 10.
Meanwhile, posters in Jalpaiguri, another district bordering Bangladesh are apparently declaring that Bangladeshi nationals are not welcome.
Published – December 06, 2024 09:41 am IST
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